In the weeks leading up to the draft, Perfect Game will be providing a detailed overview of each state in the U.S., including the District of Columbia, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. These overviews will list the state's strengths, weaknesses and the players with the best tools, as well as providing scouting reports on all Group 1 and 2 players as ranked in Perfect Game's state-by-state scouting lists. Please visit this page for all of the links to Perfect Game's 2013 Draft Preview content.

New York State-by-State ListTypically
New York’s draft class are defined by and only as strong as their
major universities in the New York City metro area, as well as any
prep talent from that area. But, increasingly we’re seeing talent
from the high school ranks emerge from the northern part of the
state, particularly the Buffalo/Rochester region. The Yankees took
Cito Culver in the first round in 2010, out of the Rochester area,
taking the baseball world by surprise. Perhaps more than ever this
year, however, no one will be surprised to see multiple players from
upstate or western New York in the top ten rounds.

We
also may have gotten spoiled by last year’s crop, as Stony Brook
took the college baseball world by storm, putting together a magical
season, and also producing a number of draft picks, including first
rounder Travis Jankowski. There are no such prospects that even
closely resemble that this year, and no team in the area with that
caliber of talent. The closest approximation of that is Bryan
Verbitsky at Hofstra or Ian Miller at Wagner.

TOP
PROSPECTS, GROUPS 1 and 2GROUP
2 (rounds 4-10)1. JONAH
HEIM, c, Amherst Central HS, AmherstHeim
did not enter the spring as the top prospect in the state, but to his
credit, he’s fully earned his place here this spring. Scouts in the
region appear to be close to unanimous that he’s the state’s top
talent, and he presents an intriguing skill set behind the plate. The
6-foot-4, 190-pound switch hitter has drawn comparisons to Orioles’
backstop, Matt Wieters at the same stage in their development. Of
course, he has a long way to go to catch up with Wieters, but his
length and the ease in which he plays the game are where those
comparisons stem from. He’s been described as a relaxed player that
seems to have a calm approach to every aspect of his game. Given his
lack of high level competition in the area, he’s been difficult to
get a read on in terms of his hit tools, but he shows power potential
from both sides of the plate and quality pitch recognition. There is
some length to his swing, but with his long arms that’s probably to
be expected. Heim has also shown soft hands behind the plate, but
does need some work on his overall receiving skills. His biggest
selling point this spring has been his arm strength and throwing
mechanics from behind the plate. Heim is committed to Michigan State,
but has a chance go between rounds 5-8 this June.

This is Insider Level content. You must be a subscriber to read the rest. Want to read more???